Container with flange-thread and cover



Oct. 24, 1961 R. D. WILLIAMSON 3,005,569

CONTAINER WITH FLANGE-THREAD AND covER Filed May 12, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E L E E INVENTOR.

, A T TR/YEY Oct. 24, 1961 R. D. wlLLlAMsoN 3,005,569

CONTAINER WITH FLANGE-THREAD AND COVER Filed May l2, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTURNEY United States Patent O 3,005,569 CONTAINER WITH FLANGE-THREAD AND COVER Robert D. Williamson, Montclair, NJ., assignor to American aluminum Company, Mountainside, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Filed May 12, 1960, Ser. No. 28,766 4 Claims. (Cl. 220-39) This invention relates to sheet metal containers and,

more particularly, to those adapted to be closed by screw caps. Metal containers are widely used for holding, distributing and transporting various kinds of material, including grease. They are normally provided with screwthreaded caps or covers and the edges thereof have screw threads formed to mate with the threaded -anges of such caps or covers. When this is done, the inner suryfaces of such containers present -a coirugated appearance and interfere with 'fully removing all of the material therefrom, especially if they contain such material as grease.

In accordance with my invention, containers are provided which present straight and smooth inside wall surfaces lfrom the bottom to the top, at which top a bead is formed at the juncture of the side wall and an ,outs-tanding generally annular flange. The flange is slit or notched and formed beyond the bead, which serves as a sealing seat for a screw cover or cap,V to helical or helicoidal form for mating with the threads of ya closure cap, the resiliency of the frange-thread permitting moderate springing thereof as the cover is tightened, so as to releasably frictionally lock the cover in place.

An object of my invention is to provide a'container having the equivalent of a threaded open end, simply and inexpensively formed, so that it may be closed by a threaded cap.

Another object of my invention is to provide a container in which the equivalent of a thread is formed adjacent its open end, while still leaving a straight, smooth inside surface on its sidewall.

A further object of my invention is to provide `a container as above described, in which the thread equivalent is disposed outside of a bead lying in .a plane normal to the axis of the container, and adapted to provide a sealing seat for the screw cover or cap.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken with the accompanying drawings. It will be understood that the drawings are for purposes of illustration and do not define the scope or limits of the invention, reference being had for the latter purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote -like parts in the several views:

FIGURE l is a side elevational view of a container embodying my invention and closed by -a screw cap.

FIGURE 2 is 'an enlarged elevational view of the top or upper portion of the container, as shown in FIGURE l, after removal of the cap.

FIGURE 3 is .an axial sectional view of the upper or open end portion of the container of FIGURE 2, further enlarged, and showing :a screw cap in the process of being applied thereon and with which are associated a sealing disc and a gasket.

IFIGURE 4 is a view corresponding generally to FIG- URE 3, except that the bottom of the container is also fragmentarily shown and in which the cap has been screwed to sealing position.

FIGURE 5 is a view corresponding generally to the upper portion of FIGURE 4 but to a smaller scale and showing -a modication.

l, 3,005,569 Patented Oct. 24, 1961 FIGURE 6 is a view corresponding to IFIGURE 5, but showing another modification.

FIGURE 7 is .a View corresponding to the upper portion of FIGURE 4, but showing still another modification.

FIGURE 8 is a top plan of the cap of FIGURE 3, but to a smaller scale.

FIGURE 9 is a top plan of the container of FIGURE 2, but to the scale of FIGURE 8.

Referring now .to the drawings in det-ail, and `irst considering the embodiment of my invention illustrated in FIGURES l to 4, inclusive, 8 and 9, there is shown a cup-shaped container 11 formed of thin metal, a nonlimiting example being aluminum, and which may have the general appearance of a beaker of the type found in chemical laboratories. To that end it -has 4a generally cylindrical wall 12, or one which is circular in section about a central axis and closed -at its bott-om or at one end by a wall 13. Thus it may be of dilferent shape, such as frusto conical. Although the bottom wall I3 may be dat, it is desir-ably frusto conical, as indicated at I4, :adjacent its line of union with the side wall 12, so as to on stacking t or nest with the correspondinglyformed or recessed top wall 15 of -a screw cap 16 serving .as a closure for the container.

The open or top end of the container terminates in an outstanding flange 17. This flange, yalthough generally annular in Iform, comprises an inner lapproximately semitoroidal portion 18, desirably lying in a plane normal to the axis of the container 11 and forming a bead on which the cap 16 having a top 15 and a screw threaded skirt 24, or a metal disc 19 with or without an associated gasket 2.1, may seat. The disc 19 may be made of aluminum or other material suitable to be used as a pressure cushion. This -allows for uniform pressure all around the edge to make a tight seal, but provides for the release of pressure if it increases above a selected limit. Thus the space 20 between the edge of the disc 19 and the cap 16allows for further bending of said disc Eand release of pressure if needed. The gasket 21, if used, may be made of suitable material such as rubber, cork, paper,

foil or the like.

The screw cap 16, although it may have a flat top as indicated at 15 in FIGURE 5, desirably has a top 15 which is concave upwardly, as viewed in FIGURES 3 land 4, or as viewed in IFIGURE 6. Although the concavity may be provided by a at central portion terminating in a frusto conical peripheral portion 22, to nestingly receive the corresponding portions 14 of a container 11 placed therein, as shown in FIGURES 3 'and 4, it may be approximately of spherical contour, as indicated at 15 in FIGURE 6.

The flange 17, beyond the bead 18, lies below or toward the bottom 13 of the container 11 from the exterior or sealing surface of said bead. Such outer tlange portion 23 is formed with -a slit or notch 22' and its portions on either side of said notch are bent in opposite directions, as shown -at the right hand of FIGURES 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, a distance corresponding generally `with the pitch of the threads on the skirt 24 of the screw cap to be used therewith. The flange portion .23, from the slit 22' at one end to the other end, is bent to a varying degree, desirably in a die, to provide a flange-thread with a helical or helicoidal surface 2S to engage with the corresponding helical or helicoidal surface 26 of the screw threaded skirt 24 on the cap 16.

While I have described the surface 25 as being helical or helicoidal, it will be understood that it ylies at the periphery of a flange, rthe angularity of which varies from that which extends downwardly and outwardly, as shown in the sectioned portions at the right of FIGURES 3 to 7, inclusive, through a generally horizontal or normal portion, as shown at the left side of said iigures, to an 11pwardly and outwardly extending portion, as,V shown on the unsectioned part at therright of said figures. The depthotf theA slit 2.2 is at least equal -to the 'height of the threads 24 on the cap 16 and is shown slightly greater than thatheight. i

' In applying the cap 16, the extreme or lower thread thereof iirst engages the un-Sectioned or upper portion of the viiange 23 and then gradually engages vall along said helicoidal flange, including the horizontal or normal portion and the downwardly sloping portion 2S, until the cap is moved from the position of FIGURE 3 to that of FIGURE 4 to press the undersurface thereof against the `bead 18` or, as illustrated, the undcrsurface of the packing gasket 21 against said bead and, if desired, Hexing the outer edge portions of said disc 19, and gasket 21 from the position of FGURE 3 to that of FIGURE 4, thereby resilient-ly sealing the container 11.

glirjgym the Iforegoing'disclosure it will be seen that a1- though it is desirable to accurately form lthe outer iiange portion 23 helically, to` match the engaged surface of the threaded skirt 24 of the cap, yet extreme accuracy is unnecessary because ofthe dexibiiity of the iiange 17 which,V

upon'screwing down the cap 16 thereon, will flex or bend sol thatthe parts of the ange which do not initially accurately mate lwith the cap threads will be brought to a mating engagement. However, sealing of the container by the 'flange-thread 23 is not relied on, said iiange-thread 23 merely holding the vcap'16 on the container 11 and the seal being effected at the bead 18 by the top wall of the cap 16 or a kdisc or packing associated therewith, as viewed `mostclearly in FIGURES 4 to 7, inclusive.

"In the embodiment of FIGURE 5, the container 11 may be 4identical with that of the iirst embodiment, however, theV cap '16 is here shown with a flat, rather than a concave, top portion 15', the ooncavity of the portion 15 of the iirst embodiment being simulated -by a filler member 27, f-formedof any desired material, whichY presses on the central portion of a packing gasket 21 and/or' disc 19 to, it desired, flex iet or them, as shown in'FIGURE 4,'to securely seal the container 11.

In'the embodiment of IFIGURE 6, the container 11 is identical with that of the rst embodiment but the cap 16" ,hasl 'its central portion .15" concave upwardly, that is, convexdownwardly, 'and of generally spherical configuration so as to, upon screwing the cap 16" into place, press do'wn on the center of the packing 21 land/ or they disc=19 and iiexit or them, as here shown, to tightly seal'theA container i115 i g y i Inthe embodiment of FIGURE 7, the cap 16 is formed like that of FIGURE f with a iiat top 15 and used therewithfisf'a gasket Yor washer member 28 which effects sealirigby having the bead 18 of the container 11, which corresponds to 'that of the first embodiment, pressed Vthereinto, as illustrated, upon screwing the cap in place.

From the foregoing xdisclosure ist will be seen that I have providedY a container which may be formed Afrom sheet metal, such as aluminum, steel, brass or the like, by a simple Iand conventional process, with a Ibottom formed flat or of other desired shape, rand a flange projecting from its upper or open endand connected thereto along a bead which -functions as a sealing surface. The

flange is generally annular, slit or notched, and lon either.

side of said separation curved to helical yform, as in. a die, to resiliently mate with the threads on an associated closure cap. In the disclosed'construction it is unnecessary that the flange-thread eiect the desired seal, as such is accomplished at a bead lbetween said ange-thread and the Wall of the container; The `container wall, by presenting a smooth inner surface to the contents, facilitates the complete removal of the latter, as well `as makes possible la more economical production of the container.

I claim:

Il. A sheet metal container'comprising a body formed by a side wall generally circular in'section about a cen' tral axis open at one end and terminating at the other end in la bottom wall, a ygenerally annular resilient liangev` outstanding from said side wall at the open end thereof, said tiange uniting with said W-all'along an annular bead that presents a convex outersurface disposed in a plane normal to said axis to sealingly engage a closure member, the iiange being disposed in a plane approximately perpendicular to said axis and being notched -at its edge and ldis-placed axially both ways at opposite sides of the notch and curved helically, Land -a screw cap including 4va top yand a screw threaded skirt having a screw-threaded conf nection with the helical edge of said tiange to close said open end of the body.

2. A sheet metal container as defined in claim 1 wherein there is a resilient packing -disc disposed between the top of said cap and said bead.

3. A sheet metal container as deined in claim 1 wherein the inner side of the top of the cap is convex and engages` References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,717,974 VHeinrichs June 1s, 1929 2,145,739 shaw Jan; 31, 1939 2,513,158 Foley June 27, o 

